A.F.C. Liverpool

AFC Liverpool
Full name Affordable Football Club Liverpool
Nickname(s) The Little Reds, Liverpool Jr.
Founded 2008
(by 1,000 Liverpool FC Supporters)
Ground Arriva Stadium, Crosby, Liverpool
Ground Capacity 3,185 (389 seated)
Chairman Chris Stirrup
Manager Joe Gibbons
League North West Counties Football League Premier Division
(Level 9 / Step 5)
2014–15 North West Counties Football League Premier Division, 9th

A.F.C. Liverpool is a semi-professional English football club set up by 1,000 Liverpool Football Club fans in 2008. Fans are able to buy into the club on a 'one member-one vote' basis.[1][2] The club kicked off the 2010–11 season in North West Counties League Division One.[3] Since the 2011–12 season they have played in the North West Counties Football League Premier Division.[4]

History

Formation

The club was set up to provide a match-going experience for Liverpool fans who have been priced out of Premier League football.[5] The club has adopted the same colours, fan songs and is based around the same community as Liverpool F.C.. The club is a non-profit organisation. The AFC Liverpool founder Alun Parry said "I've been going to Anfield since the late Seventies when I was six years old. A season ticket in the Kop cost £45 in 1985, today it's £650, which I know is a lot cheaper than some other Premier League clubs, but in inflation terms Eighties prices should equate to £98 today."[5] He also stated that the formation of the club had nothing to do with the debated ownership of Liverpool. Parry stressed that the club was not to be estranged from Liverpool, but he hoped that it would look on AFC as a 'little brother'.

The formation of the club was featured in the Daily Telegraph, The Guardian,[6] Daily Mirror, the Liverpool Echo, the Daily Post,[7] BBC Sport,[8] Radio City, City Talk FM, 106.7 Merseyside's KCR FM, BBC Radio Merseyside, BBC London and Sky Sports News.

On 17 June 2008, AFC Liverpool were officially accepted into the North West Counties League Division One for the 2008–09 season. In addition to this, Prescot Cables also granted AFC Liverpool permission to play their home games at Valerie Park.[9] AFC Liverpool club founder Alun Parry said: "Everybody at the club is delighted. We now have an excellent, atmospheric stadium to play in which has excellent transport links, making it easy for our fans to get to. And the decision of the league's AGM puts us as full members of the Northwest Counties (Vodkat) League, and it means that our dream is now a reality."

2008–09 season

The first game in the club's history was a friendly played on 16 July 2008 against St Helens Town. The result was a 1–1 draw with the first ever goal for AFC Liverpool being a penalty scored by Martin Crowder. This was followed by success for the club in securing their first trophy on 19 July in the Joe Fagan Commemorative Trophy, achieved after beating Nelson 5–3 on penalties after the match ended in a 1–1 draw. The club collected its second trophy of the season in The Fans Club Trophy on 2 August beating Runcorn Linnets 4–1.

The club's first competitive game took place on 9 August, at home to Darwen, and resulted in a 5–0 victory in front of 442 fans. A 4–3 away win at Bootle on 27 December resulted in the largest attendance for an AFC Liverpool game so far. This thrilling Merseyside "Derby" also attracted the largest attendance ever at New Bucks Park.

Further success followed on 16 April 2009, when the club secured the First Division Trophy (the league cup competition for North West Counties League Division One) after beating Padiham 1–0. The club finished its inaugural season in 4th place, missing out on promotion to the Premier Division.

On 2 May the fans' player of the season award was given to influential midfielder Ian Sheridan. The leading goalscorer for the season was Dean Thurston with 21 goals in 26 appearances (5 as substitute).

2009–10 season

The club started its second season in the First Division with mixed form, finishing September in 5th place with five wins and two defeats from seven matches. The club's form improved in October, ending the month in third place with three games in hand over the clubs above them. In the club's first appearance in the FA Vase they exited in the second qualifying round after losing narrowly at home 1–2 to Dinnington Town. The club progressed to the second round of the Liverpool Senior Cup where they were eliminated by Skelmersdale United. They went on to win the Vodkat League First Division Trophy, the only team to retain it since its inception in 1989–90.[10] Derek Goulding, the manager since the club was formed, left the club in April and they finished the season in fifth place.

2010–11 season

The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in this season but were eliminated in their first match in the competition losing 4–1 to Hemsworth MW.[11] In the FA Vase they progressed to the third round of the competition knocking out Dinnington Town, Hallam, and A.F.C. Blackpool, before being knocked out by Whitley Bay. Their early league form saw them move to second in the league by mid-November. Moving into 2011, AFC Liverpool's season was stalled by one of the worst winters in recent years. The whole of non league football was disrupted, however many of AFC Liverpool's biggest rivals managed to play more games, which pushed the club backwards in the league. They were also hindered by player movements in the club (most notably the club's star striker Steven Jones who signed for Welsh Premier League team Newtown).[12] Eventually, they finished fourth in the division after the runaway success of AFC Blackpool and league newcomers Runcorn Town. After reaching the final of the First Division Trophy for the 3rd successive year, they were beaten 3–2 in extra time by Atherton Collieries.[13] On 18 June 2011 AFC Liverpool were granted promotion to the North West Counties Football League Premier Division due to Rossendale United being expelled from the league and 3rd placed Holker Old Boys declining promotion.[14]

2011–12 season

League season

In the worst season of their short existence, the club remained winless for the first 16 games of the season with 12 losses and 4 draws, leaving them at the bottom of the league table during this time. Despite the run of bad results, manager Paul Moore assured fans that "it is just a matter of time before we win a game of football."[15] This winless streak was broken on 16 November 2011 when Winsford United were defeated 7–0, equaling the club's record win margin.[16] Against Flixton two days later the club managed consecutive wins and the club was no longer at the bottom of the table.[17] Unfortunately the team suffered a league record 4–0 defeat against Stone Dominoes in early December.[18] From the middle of February onwards, however, the club began to secure consistent victories and a 3–2 defeat of AFC Blackpool in early April saw the club rise to nineteenth position in the league and out of the relegation zone.[19] Further success saw the club avoid relegation altogether, finishing 19th overall.[20] The last fifteen games of the season saw the club earn 29 points from 15 matches which included 9 victories, 2 draws and 4 defeats – a substantial turnaround from the first half of the season.[21]

Knockout competitions

The club entered four knockout competitions: The FA Cup, The FA Vase, The Liverpool Senior Cup and the League Challenge Cup. The first three knockout matches ended in 2–2 draws that the club was unable to improve upon.

In the FA Cup, the club drew 2–2 against Runcorn Linnets in the opening extra preliminary round[22] but were defeated in the replay.[23] In the FA Vase, a 2–2 draw against NWCFL First Division side AFC Darwen in the opening round[24] was followed by a 3–1 defeat in the replay after the team had been reduced to nine men.[25] In the Liverpool Senior Cup the club drew with Formby 2–2 before being beaten 5–3 on penalties[26] In the League challenge cup, the club was defeated by AFC Blackpool in the 3rd round[27]

2012–13 season

As with all non-league football, AFC Liverpool suffered its share of matches postponed by frozen pitches due to extreme weather. At one stage, players and fans had to wait a month between matches. The weather also ruined a unique local derby against Premier League team Everton F.C. (reserve squad) in the Liverpool Senior Cup. When the weather cleared near the end of the season, so many matches had been postponed that AFC Liverpool were playing up to 3 matches a week to catch up.

League season

After escaping relegation the previous season, AFC Liverpool finished 11th out of 22 in 2012–13.

The match against Runcorn Linnets on 12 September 2012 was postponed after the Hillsborough Independent Panel released its findings on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. Since most AFC Liverpool fans are also fans of Liverpool F.C., it was decided that the match should not go ahead as a mark of respect. On 22 September 2012, a pre-match ceremony in remembrance of the 96 fans who died in the disaster was conducted, with two minutes of applause to celebrate the truth about Hillsborough being made known. The away team, Glossop North End, also participated in the event. In the match that followed, Glossop North End won 2–1.

The club was boosted by the addition of striker John Lawless, who scored 40 goals in 36 matches in all competitions that season.

The biggest win of the season was a 6–0 away victory over Stone Dominoes, while Winsford United avenged their previous season's record loss by beating AFC Liverpool 8–1. AFC Liverpool's attendance averaged 108 per home match.

Knockout competitions

In the FA Cup, AFC Liverpool inflicted a 6–3 defeat of rivals AFC Blackpool, before losing 1–0 to Prescot Cables – the latter match being a "landlords vs tenants" match, as Prescot are the owners of Valerie Park and ground-share with AFC Liverpool.

In the FA Vase, AFC Liverpool reached the 1st round proper, going down to Armthorpe Welfare 3–1, after victories against Askern Villa and Bacup Borough.

AFC Liverpool were runners-up in the 2012–13 Liverpool Senior Cup, going down 4–3 on penalties after drawing 1–1 with Bootle F.C. in the final.

2014–15 season

The club has announced that, with effect from season 2014–15, home matches will be played at the Arriva Stadium, home of Marine F.C.[28]

Players

First team squad

As of 14 August 2014

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
England GK Ryan Jones
England GK Ryan Neild
Ghana DF Muktar Mahama [29]
England DF Kieron Bogg
England DF Michael Williams
England DF Jonathon Swatton
England DF Allen Weston
England DF Daniel Murphy
England MF Jack Sinnnott
England MF Steve Corris
England MF Liam Loughlin
No. Position Player
England MF Nevil Picton
England MF Steven Williams
England MF Daniel Loughlin
England MF Alex Griffiths
England MF Connor Belger
England MF Kieron Brislen
England FW Francis Barry
England FW Steve Jones
England FW Ryan Cox
England FW Ronnie Morgan

Paul Moore is the manager of the club.

Notable former players

1. Players that have played/managed in the football league or any foreign equivalent to this level (i.e. fully professional league).
2. Players with full international caps.

Player Records

(as at 14 August 2015)
Records for league and all cups, appearance totals are starting + substitute.
Shown are all who have made more than 100 appearances, or scored more than 25 goals
Source:

Appearances:

# Player Career Appearances
1 England Darren Torpey 2009 - 2015 233
2 England Jack Sinnott 2010–present 166
3 England Steve Corris 2008–present 163
4 England Francis Barry 2010 – present 120
5 England Steven Jones 2010–present 114
6 Ghana Muktar Mahama 2011–present 114
7 England Shaun Harris 2011 – 2014 113
8 England River Humphreys 2008 - 2014 107

Goals:

# Player Career Appearances Goals Goals per game ratio
1 England Steven Jones 2010 – present 114 62 0.54
2 England Ryan Cox 2013–present 85 56 0.66
3 England John Lawless 2011 – 2015 79 50 0.63
4 England Ronnie Morgan 2012 – 2015 85 41 0.48
5 England Dean Thurston 2012 – 2015 51 26 0.51
6 England Francis Barry 2010 – present 120 25 0.21
  

Competition history

SeasonLeagueLevelPldWDLFAGDPtsPosAverage Home Att.1
2008–09 North West Counties League First Division10 3422398239+43694/18316
2009–10 North West Counties League First Division10 32154136043+17495/17178
2010–11 North West Counties League First Division10 3419696534+31634/18
(promoted)		126
2011–12 North West Counties League Premier Division9 42136236073−134519/22124
2012–13 North West Counties League Premier Division9 42186186964+56011/22108
2013–14 North West Counties League Premier Division9 42217148854+34707/22119
2014–15 North West Counties League Premier Division9 40178157456+18599/21139

1: League games only
Source: Tony Kempster's site Non League Matters NW Counties Football League site Last updated: May 2014

Honours

Honours No. Years
North West Counties League First Division Trophy Winners 2 2008–09, 2009–10
North West Counties League First Division Trophy Runners-Up 1 2010–11
Liverpool Senior Cup Runners-Up 2 2012–13, 2014–15
Joe Fagan Commemorative Trophy Winners 2 2008–09, 2009–10
The Fans Club Trophy Winners 3 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11

Records

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The fans are revolting". Daily Mirror. 8 March 2008. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  2. ↑ "Liverpool fans plan AFC Liverpool". icLiverpool. 25 February 2008. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  3. ↑ Conn, David (8 May 2008). "AFC Liverpool join the rebels with vow of football for all". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2008-05-08.
  4. ↑ "AFC Liverpool promoted". Liverpool FC. 18 June 2011. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  5. 1 2 George, Ricky (18 March 2008). "Liverpool fans form a club in their price range". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  6. ↑ Roughley, Gregg (16 July 2008). "Liverpool's little brother prepares to enter the world". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  7. ↑ "Hunt for 1,000 fans for AFC Liverpool football club". Liverpool Daily Post. 7 March 2008. Archived from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  8. ↑ "Reds fans form 'affordable' club". news.bbc.co.uk. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-18.
  9. ↑ "Double Delight for AFC Liverpool". Liverpoolfc.com. 17 June 2008. Archived from the original on 27 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-17.
  10. ↑ "AFC Liverpool Retain The first Division Trophy". nwcfl.com. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  11. ↑ "Highlights: Hemsworth MW 4–1 AFC Liverpool". AFC Liverpool. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
  12. ↑ Smith, Paul (28 January 2011), "Steve Jones Moves On", AFC Liverpool, retrieved 25 October 2014
  13. ↑ "Atherton Collieries – 1st Division Trophy Winners", Vodkat league, retrieved 26 October 2014
  14. ↑ League Constitution 2011–12 – AFC Liverpool promoted
  15. ↑ 2011-11-13 A Message From Paul Moore
  16. ↑ "AFC Liverpool 7–0 Winsford United: Magnificent Seven". A.F.C. Liverpool. 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "AFC Liverpool 2–1 Flixton: Reds Come From Behind To Win". A.F.C. Liverpool. 19 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Stone Dominoes 4–0 AFC Liverpool: Reds Ship Four In Staffordshire". A.F.C. Liverpool. 3 December 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  19. ↑ 2012-04-03 AFC Liverpool 3–2 AFC Blackpool: Reds’ Win Over Blackpool Sees Them Climb Table
  20. ↑ 2012-04-16 St Helens Defeat Sees Reds Safe
  21. ↑ 2012-05-05: Reds Wrap Up Season With A Win
  22. ↑ 2011-08-20 AFC Liverpool 2–2 Runcorn Linnets
  23. ↑ 2011-08-24 Runcorn Linnets 3–1 AFC Liverpool
  24. ↑ "AFC Darwen 2–2 AFC Liverpool: Replay Required in FA Vase". A.F.C. Liverpool. 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  25. ↑ "AFC Liverpool 1–3 AFC Darwen: Reds Exit FA Vase After Extra Time". A.F.C. Liverpool. 30 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  26. ↑ "Formby 2–2 AFC Liverpool Reds Exit Senior Cup On Penalties". A.F.C. Liverpool. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 December 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  27. ↑ 2012-02-18 AFC Blackpool 1–0 AFC Liverpool:Reds Out Of Cup
  28. ↑ "AFC LiverpoolMoving to Marine Next Season". AFC Liverpool. 25 January 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  29. ↑ "Extended Reds Review Interview with Muktar Mahama". Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  30. 1 2 "St. Helens Town 0-9 (nine) AFC Liverpool". 13 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  31. ↑ "Whitley Bay 7–1 AFC Liverpool". AFC Liverpool. 8 January 2011. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2011.

External links

Coordinates: 53°29′07″N 3°02′01″W / 53.485157°N 3.03363°W / 53.485157; -3.03363

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